LETTER - Safety’s on the roads

Published:11:27Friday 05 August 2011

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Following my election in May I conducted a themed surgery in the Wrenthorpe and Outwood West ward on the topic of road safety.

The event took place earlier this month and was organised to both consult with people locally, and raise the profile of the subject within my ward. I’m sure all your readers will appreciate that recent tragic events underline the fact that we must never lose sight of this issue.

Initially, I had identified some 30 areas for discussion by anyone who attended. However, people have been contacting me since the surgery and many more issues have come to the surface. From whether pedestrians who are listening to personal stereos are using the roads with due care and attention, to the usual points about parking and speeding, I have taken down individual case notes and will be dealing with the relevant agencies to help ensure travelling across our ward is as safe as possible. That includes the number of complaints about outstanding road repairs I have received.

In one specific area I feel your letters page could help. Many residents on the A61 Leeds Road in Newton Hill have complained about the excessive speed of vehicles, especially late at night when it seems the long straight sections of carriageway through this area become a speed track. They are asking for speed cameras to be deployed in this section, similar to the ones on other arterial routes around the city. Having witnessed the cars that are speeding, they have a valid point.

However, I wonder if the cameras in other locations have been a success in stopping this problem, and what residents elsewhere think of them? I appreciate that drivers who have to travel regularly along these routes may have objections as it seems as though they incur more risk of being fined because of the actions of inconsiderate oafs who endanger other people’s lives.

We may be pedestrians or cyclists or drivers, but we are all road users at some time. The object of this whole exercise is to try and ensure that when our paths cross, none of us get injured.